Each year millions of people visit the Lake Tahoe basin, and you don't have to look far to see the toll this has taken on its health. Algae blooms in the nearshore zone now appear earlier in the year, green hair coats submerged rocks, and plastics and oil residue are clearly visible on the beaches—even in winter. These aren’t isolated incidents; they signal an ecosystem under stress. Who else is finding the same?

Photograph captured by Niobe Burden Austere

After the presentation of the long awaited 2023 TRPA Environmental Threshold Evaluation, our newest Executive Committee member Niobe Burden Austere delved deeper than intended and found a staggering lack of transparency by TRPA staff to the public and even the Governing Board when first presented to on February 26th. The Independent Peer Review of the Threshold Evaluation conducted by the Tahoe Science Advisory Council (TSAC) has called for updated standards and better data (more measurable indicators) to align policy with on-the-ground realities. The public sees a lake in decline- yet TRPA progress reports often paint a different picture.

Last Thursday, Niobe published an Op Ed in the Moonshine Ink titled "TRPA Must Prioritize Transparency and a Carrying Capacity Study for Lake Tahoe". This article describes the major flaws and inconsistences found by TSAC, which ultimately undermine the credibility of TRPA's environmental assessments. What is even more concerning is the lack of transparency by TRPA to address these issues. We encourage you to check out this article to better understand why TSAC's findings matter and what should be done moving forward.

More than anything, TRPA needs to hear from the public! They are asking for it and the time to act is now! We need science-based, forward-looking planning rooted in transparency. We urge you to demand a comprehensive Carrying Capacity Study of the Tahoe Basin by submitting feedback via TRPA’s Threshold Evaluation Feedback Form. It takes five minutes—and Lake Tahoe’s future depends on it!